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Further Winter Driving Tips, This Time From All Over

Our recent post on safe winter driving elicited comments from readers from Barrow, Alaska, to Miami, Fla., so today we’re highlighting some of those responses.

Some readers pointed out that slowing down and avoiding tailgating are among the simplest and best precautions against winter accidents. Given that braking distances on snow and ice can be two to three times longer than on asphalt, driving slowly is always the first line of defense in inclement weather.

“Good tips all, but the single most important tip is to slow down when the roads are slick. I’m sure you implied it above, but it’s worth repeating as many times as possible.”– Posted by Dan

“Slow down when driving on snow, or when approaching snow covered portions of the road. Please don’t tailgate in wintery conditions! (New Jersey, I’m talking about you!) In fact, give two to three times the distance that driver’s tests tell you to give under normal conditions.”– Posted by Chris

“Slow down and enjoy winter.”– Posted by Dennis Malloy

Some readers had questions on our age-old advice to “steer into the skid.”

“Steering into the skid never made any sense to me; you have one part of the car going one way and the other half another. I have found that you need to keep the steering wheel aimed in the direction you were going and the car invariably does the same.”– Posted by Bill Smith

“I guess I’m confused as to what ‘steering into the skid’ means. Do you aim the front wheels in the direction the car is skidding or in the direction you want the car to go, that is, the direction you were heading before the skid started?”– Posted by Jay Parnes

The easiest way to describe “steering into the skid” is to give a little example. But first, a little primer on traction: A car on a slick surface has very finite grip, but the traction available to the front and rear tires can differ significantly. If you are braking, more of the car’s weight is applied to the front tires and they will gain more grip than the rears. So, if you enter a snowy corner too quickly, really only two things can happen — the front wheels can begin to lose grip, or the rear wheels can begin to lose grip.

If the front wheels lose grip, the car will take a wider path than the intended corner. When this happens, the natural instinct is to turn the steering wheel more, and this usually scrubs enough speed and tightens the car’s line to follow the corner — typically a fairly benign, if scary, moment. If you’ve gone far too fast, though, you’ll shoot straight off and, like we say in rally, “put the machinery into the (snow-covered) greenery.”

The second possibility, and the one where steering into the skid comes into play, is when the rear wheels lose grip. Imagine a driver, noticing he’s entered a slippery right turn too quickly, steps firmly on the brakes. This transfers the weight of the car to the front wheels, and unweights the rear wheels, overcoming their traction. While the front wheels are now pointing (and gripping) through the right-hand turn, the inertia of the rear of the car simply wants to continue forward and the rear tires slip toward the outside of the corner. This, unlike the first scenario, causes the car to take a tighter path than intended. To counteract this tendency, the driver turns the steering wheel to the left, which increases the radius of the turn and reduces the angle of the rear tires to the direction of travel, causing them to regain grip. Whether you consider it steering into the skid, pointing the front wheels where you want to go, or increasing the radius of the turn, the effect is the same — preventing the car from steering too much and ending up in the imposing snowbank on the inside of the turn.

Moving on, some readers had tasty culinary analogies to share to help remind us all to steer, brake, and accelerate more smoothly. Though the Swedish preference for winter libations tends to glögg, a mulled wine served with almonds and raisins, one tip featured an even more festive beverage.

“Some years ago I drove a limousine. In my initial training for this, we actually filled a glass with champagne, then set it on the dashboard. As an exercise in controlling inertia, the idea was to pilot the limo around town without spilling any of the champagne. It can be done. And in terms providing a smooth ride to clients as well as maintaining control in winter driving, minimizing the g-forces is what it’s all about — not only in the forward direction, but also the lateral.”– Posted by Roy

“I actually first read this in an old Popular Mechanics magazine when a taxi passenger marveled at everyone else slipping, sliding, getting stuck, and this cab just went about its merry way. He asked the driver what his secret was.

Answer: Drive like you have a raw egg between your foot and the pedals. The secret, then, is ‘gentle does it.'”– Posted by Tom from Wisconsin

But perhaps the most practical culinary comment of all comes from a reader in Winthrop, Va.

“Be sure those emergency Pop-Tarts are in a mouse-proof container! You don’t want to encourage little critters to move into your vehicle.”– Posted by Laura Aspenall

Some readers, all the bane of church groundskeepers, suggested practicing skid-recovery maneuvers in empty parking lots. Now unless you own said parking lot this is almost certainly illegal, so we neither recommend it nor condone it.

Some readers provided useful tips on cresting a snowy hill. (Just a little) momentum is the name of the game.

“One tip my dad taught me years ago for driving in a bad snowstorm or hard-packed snow is when approaching a hill, keep your speed UP. Don’t slow down or you’ll never make it up the hill, even a gentle slope.”– Posted by Jim

“When climbing steep, snowy hills, don’t be afraid to carry some speed into and up the hills. If necessary, you can lose the momentum quickly going up the hill, but it is often very difficult (even with 4-wheel drive on steep icy roads) to gain forward traction from a dead stop.”– Posted by Tim

“[If] you are trying to climb a hill and there is no traffic, your wheels are slipping, and you are losing inertia. “Tack,” just like a sailboat, zig zagging, effectively reduces the grade and makes it possible to climb the hill. Not advisable if there is opposing traffic.”– Posted by Ed from Philly

Some readers posted reminders to thoroughly clear ice and snow from the windows, headlights and taillights, and remove snow from the hood, trunk, roof, including any snow piled on the high roofs of S.U.V.’s. Doing so ensures that following cars aren’t caught in a comet tail of wintry blast, or startled by chunks of ice leaping off the car. And it keeps the state troopers happy, too.

And lastly, a fellow rally competitor e-mailed and urged me to add one tip. He said, “Remind readers that when stuck and clearing snow from beneath the car, it’s usually not the wheels that need to be freed. The car is usually high-centered on a pile of snow and clearing that snow from under the body of the car will put the wheels back on the ground and allow you to go on your merry way.” He also recommended a two-headed hoe, rather than a shovel for this work. So, next time you’re stuck, remember the rally-mnemonic… Snow, hoe, hoe.

I have to know if there is any truth in “warming the car up” before driving in cold weather (or anytime). Are you damaging the engine if you just start to drive without letting it idle for a few minutes?

Letting the car warm for a minute before driving is not a bad idea, since it helps ensure that the engine oil is warm enough to lubricate the pistons and drivetrain.

But with today’s multi-viscosity oils, which flow more easily at low temperatures, a long stationary warm-up isn’t necessary. Do try keep your engine speed (rpm) low until the car is fully up to temperature, though. Not exceeding 3500 rpm in the first 5-10 minutes of operation on a cold morning is a good rule of thumb.

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